Slack controller



. July 2, 1946. i w. w. STEWART v v 2,403,135 y sLAcK CONTROLLER y Filed Aug. ,5, 1944 QS-J l 7 nnentor Patented July 2, 1,946

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- Ward W. Stewart, Girard, Ohio Application August 3, 1944, Serial No. 547,889

This invention relates to slack controllers used in connection with brake mechanisms of railway cars.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a slack controlling device for use with the brake operating mechanisms of railway cars.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a slack controller that may be employed With railway car brakes for adjusting the slack existing in the brake mechanisms and which is capable of several methods of attachmenty to the railway cars with respect to the brake mechanism.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a slack controller that'is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and efflcient in operation.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a slack controller for a railway car brake mechanism providing means for automatically slacking off the brake mechanism after being manually set. Y

The slack controller shown and described herein has been designed to form a simple and eicient mechanism which may be easily constructed and readily applied to railway cars in connection with the brake mechanisms of such cars, and which may be applied and efficiently used in several different applications in connection with such brake mechanisms, such as, for example, a draft sill application wherein the slack controller is attached directly to the dead link of the brake mecha- 2 claims. (o1. 18e-197)V nism. An alternate positioning is in the center I sill application wherein the slack controller is attached to the floating lever of the brake mechanism and a still further application possible is a center sill application wherein the slack controller is attached to the brake rods. In any one of these applications the slack controller shown andJ described herein accomplishes the dual purpose of providing a convenient and eiiicient slack adjusting means and at the same time provides for the automatic slacking off of the brake mechanism from the manual setting made thereby insuring against the brake mechanism being set too tight The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a slack controller in position on the center sill section of a railway Car;

Figure 2V is an enlarged cross sectional elevation of a portion of the slack controller illustrated in Figure 1l I Y Figure 3 is a cross sectional side elevation taken on lines 3-3' of Figure 2.`

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic illustration showing the slack controller in draft sill application.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the slack controller 'in a center sill application.

Figure 6 is a plan view of the slack controller in center sill application attached to and forming a part of the brake rods.

By referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3 in particular it will be observed that a slack controller hasl been illustrated which takes the form of a bar lIn having a plurality of teeth II lformed on the` upper surfaceithereof and provided with a handle I2 at one end and with an openingA I3 at the other end to enable the bar I0 to be attached directly to the brake mechanism of a railway car, for example, to a dead link I4 of such brake mechanism. The bar IU is supported at one end by the brake mechanism, as illustrated in Figure 1,

by the link I4 and the other end of the bar I0 is adjustably `positioned in a U-shaped bracket I5 which is provided with an out-turned fiange I6 on one of its upturned arms. The out-turned flange I6 serves as a means of mounting the U-shaped bracket I5 as best illustrated in Figure 2. By

referring to Figures 1, 2, 3 and 4 of the drawing it will be observed that a plurality of suitable fasteners such as rivets Il are employed to mount the bracket l5 beneath the draft sill I8 of a n railway car. The U-shaped mounting bracket I5 which supports the toothed rod IU is provided with a pair of semi-L-shaped slots I9 in the upturned arms thereof and these semi-L-shaped slots VIl! are adapted to operatably receive a roller pin 2U which is held therein in a movable manner by means vof a Washer 2| and cotter pin 22 '(see Figure 2).

I9 and is provided on one end with a head 20A so that while it can move in the slots I9 it cannot escape therefrom. pin 20 forms an adjustable connection between the bracket I5 and the bar III as it is adapted to engage the spaces between the teeth VI I so as to hold the bar I0 in desirable adjustment. It will be observed that the near-vertical portions of The roller pin` 20 in transverse posiv tion in the bracket I5 extends through the slots In such position the roller-J the eemi-L-shaped slots I9 inthe brackets is in'- l eline to the left as illustrated in Figures 1, 3 and 4,

and that these slotsV I9 are of' sucient height` l Y to permit the roller bar 2Q to rise above the uppermost edge of the teeth ll on the bar I when the bar 'i9 is drawn to the left, as illustrated in Figures 1, 3 and 4, asV by manipulation of the 1' VVhandle I2. -When this occurs the roller pinfi) will automatically reset in each of the spaces between the teeth. i il when the bar l li) is. moved tol,

` 'Y adjust the 'slack in the Vbrake mechanism.y When` l Y no further movement is applied tothe bar It the;` v brake mechanism normally urges the bar Vl il to the4v right, as illustrated in Figures 1, 3 andl, andaVm l5 zontaliy positioned portions of the slots-l the?V thereby moves the roller. pin 2i! intol thehoribrackets l5 in which position-thefroller( EIT-refe mains, Yit being observed that'they horizohtal'travel possible provides for the slacking off of theibrake mechanism from the manual setting made as the bari lll.; is, permitted tQ-ftravel i9; the. righi.; '2iV .Clistance'comparable with the lengthlof tl'iehorizon-1 tail Sectioniof iheslpis iSmQi/.iiie the roller ein Y il), sogdoiria 'ltwill thus bescerithat the construction illustrated and described provides: for. the. Convenient manual adju.Siirielrlil 0f.; the the brake; mechanism end-also provides for the slacking oi from the manual setting made thereby insurinsaeainst thehossibiliiir of; Yille brake mechanism beingacljusted tootightly.

By .Ifellllg 0.0 g ll.1;4;,0.f the ,dliiil/111gA ifi Will be 0lscri/.esi that.' the adiustmentmade with the. slackcontrollina mechanism isidireoilr applied io the brake mechanism through the `lever- I4V and 'that Such amidst-,ment direcilreiecis theV posicontrolleris.illustrated as `.consisting-.cf atocthed. l

bar. 23 providedr with. a. handle; Miorirondend. and.: a; slot-likelopeningfii Theftoothed bar 23i ispositioned. beneath a centersill Zuby.. n'ieans of a.

bracket ,2 'i similar in. allv` respects.. to thebracket Igg heretoioredescribed in; connection withrFigures lr, -2.. and` off the VVdrawing-fr The, slot-.like opening. 2.5. nearA the one end ofthetoothed bar` 23,

nrovides fory the .'attachment.; thereto.- ofthe brake mechanism which includes thefloatingrlever and. which` mechanism is generallyindicated by the. numeral 3,3.V 1t will thus beqseenthat. in. such a center sill; application wherein.rr attachment/is;

made to the fioatinglever ofthefbrake: mechanism, the slack, controllerN operates` effectively in that the4 same adjustment. and slacking ofifeatures heretofore. described; are. utilized. inladjustf ing thefslack. inthe brake: mechanismJ and pro-.

vidingforithe slacking; oi .from the adjusted position;

Bgy referring. now to Figure. 6. a still further variation in. they manner of formation. andV ap.- l

plicationfof. the slackcontroller toa brake mecha.-v nism may befseengwherein. a toothed bar 2i; is. shown lprovided with; a. depending handle.: Z3; and positioned throughV a supporting. .bracket 34 and Qalm held by;2f.1,adjustmnt bracket 3'0. hayine .2i-Pair 0i .Semi Lshapeds1ots3i formedtherein. tor' the` reception, Oia .rollerpin 32 adapted.

to engage thespacebetvreen the teeth on the bar 21. The device illustrated in Figure 6 differs from that illustrated in Figures 1 through 5 ofthe drawingY and heretofore described in that the semi-L-shaped slots 3| are formed in the adjustment bracket 30 which is directly attached to and'preierably forms a part of the brake rod mechanism 29A,the entire device thereby comprising an'adjustable linkage between the brake rods 29= and 29A and capable of eiective use in controlling the slack in the'brakev mechanism to which the brake rods 29 and 2SA are attached.

-In all of the applications disclosed and illustrated herein it Will be observed that the novel principle of Y adjustment and slack control is possible asis the automatic slacking off feature provided for by the positioning of the roller pins 1V2o' or 32' in the semi-L-shaped slots I9 or 3|. Itwill: thus be seen that the slack controller con- Y sists of a rather simplef mechanism which can obviously.Y be. inexpensively manuactured, easily applied to. railway' carsin-l connection. with the brake mechanisms thereof and that it forms an effective and trouble;` free slafckcontroller providing for the ready` manual slackadjustmentv the automatic slacking ofi., of that adjustment; to

a desirable degree. vItis also; obviousl that the slack controller maybe` readilyl inspected and its operation` easily checked asthereare no housings or other structural membersy to interferepwiththe inspection ofthe device; andeitsfmanual; manipulation. Y Y

Having thusdescribedmy. invention; what I claim is:

1. In a slack controllerfor railway` brake-mechanism, a bracket adapted for connectionV With a.

fixed support, a pair of semi- Lrshapedi slots formed in` said: bracket and a toothed bar connected` with theA said.4 brake mechanism. and positioned through the saidgbracket, a roller pinpositioned through the said slots and-engageable with. the said toothed banA the.v said slots,- in. the; said bracket-permitting.' thesaid roller to rise anddis.- Y

eng-age the saidbar when the said bar. is moved i111 0H@y direction land. when; said. bar is moved a. predetermined distance. rinthe other direction, thesaid slots pgerrnitA the said roller to, drop inte. engagement; Withxthe; said4 bar and thereby holdI the saidVA bar Y from` further, mover-nent in. that direction. Y

2;, EtalleoperatingL means including a brakerod and a lever for operating. theisame, al slack con-y trolling device inl connecti'onptherewith, saidslack controlling devicer including :L a. bracket having Va tQOlhed barj slidahlyv engaged'V therein', means in saidvbracketfor engaging the saidvYtoo-thed bar, saidmeans permitting thelsaid toothed. bar to be moved freely` in-onedirectioneand to slack off and hold the'said; bar againstmovementiin the oppositedirection, theY saidf. means; comprising a pair ofv'semi.- L-shapedfslotsiformed in kthe said bracket and a-rollerr pin. positioned therethrough in operable engagement with theV said toothed bar, the.y

near vertical portion/0f the. saidl semi-L-shaped slots, being of;l a. height suicient topermi-t the roller pin `to move. oventhesaid toothed barfvvlienA the said bar is moved in one direction andi the horizontaly portion of the. semi-L-s-haped slots-beingp; alength sufficient toprovide'for the slack-- ing off of. the toothed. bar prior to engaging thesame.4 when the. said; toothed bar ismoved in the-- opposite direction.v

WARD; STEWART. 

